Just Us
by fire-emblem-girl
Summary: Beat has been acting strange lately and Neku wants to find out why. Too bad for him he's the only one who doesn't know what's going on! Beat/Neku
1. Chapter 1

Been real busy lately yo. So I wanted to write something fun and easy rather than "OMG STORY LINE PLOT YES/YES?!" because my other fics actually aren't the easiest to write now that stuff has been established :'D Also I just really like Beat/Neku and wanted to give some love to the pairing. X posted from the BeatxNeku lj comm.

Just Us

"You thinkin' of that girly guy?"

"Huh? Oh. Joshua. No."

"You lyin'. I can tell, yo," Beat said, alternating between eating his burger and speaking.

"Fine. Think what you want."

"A'ight. I think you thinkin' of him. Kinda whack, since we ain't seen him since the game," the blonde shrugged, "all I'm sayin'."

"I didn't ask your opinion…" he murmured. He didn't particularly like how easy he was to read. Especially to someone like Beat. In fact he didn't even know why he'd accepted the invitation to 'just chill' with the guy seeing as he usually ended up wishing for his old headphones after about 10 minutes with the skateboarder. Besides, what business was it of Beat's what he was thinking of? Or rather, who. _What does it matter if I'm thinking about the Game? _The whole thing had repeatedly mind fucked them all so how could he _not_ think of it even after it was over? _And how did mom and dad not even notice I was gone? …How does the Game even work?_

"Aw man, you thinkin' too much Phones. Makin' me lonely, yo!"

"You were the one who wanted to hang out. You could've brought Rhyme along."

At that the other guy shrugged, scratching his head, "Nah…She got other stuff to do."

"I'll Shiki and Eri then. I'm sure they'll talk to you. Then I can go home."

"Wh-Whaaaa?! That's harsh, yo! Invited you to hang out Phones and now you invitin' other people along too?!"

_He doesn't want anyone else around? …Weird. Definitely weird. _He poked at his fries, unsure whether he should just eat them or offer them to his friend currently scarfing the rest of his burger with enough gusto to scare off even the best of professional eaters.

"If you wanted to just have it be just us I would've brought my MP3 player."

"Man, you pissed at me? Might think you hate me, keep talkin' like that. You wanna check out CAT's new stuff? Heard it showed up yesterday or somethin' in the Shibuya River. Uh…you know what I mean."

"There's new CAT?! It didn't say anything about it on the watch site…How'd you find it?!" he nearly pushed his meal off the table in his haste to get to his feet.

"Oh yeah? Was just chillin' with my bros las' night an' saw it up near the Tigre Punks shop, yo," a grin spread across Beat's face.

_He looks so happy…What a weirdo…_ Neku thrust the remaining French fries at the blonde, "you want these?"

"Sweet! Let's go Phones, take it on the go."

The box of fries was snatched up by the bigger guy and they went towards Dogenzaka. There were a lot of people around the area-probably having found the new CAT graffiti. He didn't worry too much about it though since Beat was bigger than him and created a kind of drift opportunity for the skinny teen. All he had to do was stick close behind the other player and he'd get through the crowd no problem. The noise though. _I forgot how noisy everything was…Especially Shibuya. Crap. Wait…_

"Beat! Crap…out of my way…"

"Aw snap! You getting' pushed back Phones? Grab onto my shirt or somethin' a'ight?"

He did. Only because he didn't want to get swept away again. Beat's shoving fries into his mouth with one hand and people away with the other. The closer they got to the place in question the thicker the crowd became and the harder he had to grip the white jersey. They were forced into even tighter quarters once they got to about the front of the pack-his face pressed against the bottom bit of Beat's beanie. Which smelled a bit like old sweat, he had to be honest. Not that he minded all that much since it was Beat who'd told him about the new mural in the first place.

"Alright back there Phones? Should switch places, yo."

The orange haired teenager slid under the guy's arm to get a more favourable look at the artwork. He smiled. _Woah…it really is new…_ so wrapped up in his admiration of CAT was he that he didn't even notice Beat's hand on his shoulder. The flow of people slowed to a trickle leaving them mostly alone for the time being-or as alone as they could get in Shibuya. Beat didn't say anything at all even after just standing there for a long time. _If I look at it long enough I'll memorize it._ Without taking his eyes off of the wall he reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. He took a few far away pictures to encompass the entire piece then moved closer to highlight specific parts that were his favourites. It was important to take proper photographs for the CAT community after all-for the people who didn't live near Shibuya.

"Hey, Phones."

"Yeah."

"French fry?"

"They're cold probably…" he muttered. _Cold French fries are the worst…_

"Still good. CAT's stuff is pretty tight, right?"

"Of course it's cool! But…this can't be CAT. Mr. H was CAT and he…isn't around anymore," he couldn't figure out why he hadn't even thought of that before.

"Huh? Maybe it's someone who knows Mr. H real good? Knows how he paints an' stuff? Looks like CAT to me, yo."

"I guess…But if Mr. Hanekoma is around again…" his stomach dropped. _Then that means…_

"You thinkin' of that guy again. Just accept it like it is, Phones. Ain't no reason t'get worked up. If he is back he is if he ain't he ain't. Not like Mr. H an' Josh were like the same dude. Oh man, you think-"

"They were different people Beat. But…"

"Pretend you don't know nothin' about the game. You think CAT's still around?"

"…Yeah…It looks like his stuff."

Beat slung his arm around Neku's shoulders, "just be happy 'bout that. Can't let stuff you can't control take over all the stuff y'love yo. The point in livin' if y'ain't got nothin' to be happy for?"

_Easy for you to say. Since all you do is skateboard, eat and sleep. _He shrugged, "Yeah. I guess you're right…"

"Hey, you wanna go get somethin' to drink? Can invite Shiki or Eri or whatever if y'want."

"It's fine. But didn't you just drink something?"

"Was the one doin' all the work t'get here! C'mon Phones, let's go an' get some juice!"

Without asking Beat grabbed onto the other boy's wrist and pulled him along, "I'm payin' a'ight?"

_Yeah…whatever. I guess it's not so bad with just us. Unless he starts talking about skateboarding or something._

End (chapter?)

I was gonna call Beat's hat a toque. Then realized that most people call them beanies right? Sorry, I am Canadian :'D May make this multi-chapter, Idk. Just because I want them to kiss XD Now time for scary face: Please don't bother commenting if you're just gonna say "lawl i like JoshuaxNeku better!" because *channelling Dr. Cox* I reheeeally don't care. I don't mind Joshua either but yeah. I don't care if you like that pairing better :\ That's all ^^;


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned onto Cat Street. The place felt familiar yet different-he hadn't come here a lot before the Game so seeing the people and actually being able to make contact with them was strange. Though he tried his best not to run into anyone. The only reason he was here was to check out the café. It looked the same and he felt a wave of nostalgia even though he wasn't the only one heading there. _Joshua. You were the one who brought me here. And told me that Mr. H is CAT. I hate you._ Making Neku trust him then pulling the proverbial rug out from under his feet by saying that he was the one responsible for the Game, that he had brought Neku there for his own entertainment. The one person who he thought understood why he kept the world at a distance ended up using him to decide the fate of Shibuya-like a pawn in a chess game.

The door of the café swung open and he was immediately assaulted by the smell of coffee and various baked goods. _I didn't think Mr. H baked anything. So maybe it's not him._ Except the closer he got to the counter the more he saw of the person behind it. _Mr. Hanekoma._

"Oh hey, it's Mr. Headphones."

"M-Mr. H."

"So you do remember me huh? I figured Josh'd wipe your memories but I guess he's got his reasons. What can I get ya?"

"Nothing! Tell me what you're doing here!" he clenched his fists.

"I own the place don't I? Just because the game is over doesn't mean I can abandon my business."

"Yeah but-You…What about-…It's not…" the teenager heard himself flailing, trying to get words out that he had no idea how to express.

The owner smiled, "you'll give yourself an aneurism that way Phones. Here, have a coffee on the house. You're holdin' up the line."

A cup was pressed into his hand and he had to move out of the way to a table in the corner. He sighed. So Mr. H was still here. It made him wonder about Joshua. Was the silver haired guy still hanging around Shibuya or had he gone somewhere else? _This coffee isn't bad…_ not that Neku was a coffee connoisseur. _I wonder if anyone else has been here since the Game. Beat probably wouldn't come since he doesn't like the coffee and it wasn't open when Shiki was around. _

"Hey Neku."

Everything stopped. He knew that voice. Everything felt like it went cold-even his coffee. Joshua looked the same other than having his hair in a stubby ponytail and having an apron tied around his waist. The frilliness was really unnecessary.

"Miss me?"

"You…What're you doing here?!"

"I'm hurt Neku. I work here of course. How else would I be able to afford new things? I have to be in style of course," he grinned, brushing his bangs out of his face.

"You…Joshua …shouldn't you be going around messing with people's minds?"

"You're still not very happy with me, are you? Well that's fine since I'm not asking for you to forgive me."

Neku got to his feet and pushed the other guy out of his way, "good, because you won't get my forgiveness."

"We'll see. Come back soon."

_Why is he here? Why did he have to come back? What reason could he have?_ He left Cat Street and didn't look back even once while he was walking. Everyone would be waiting at Hachiko so it was better if he left sooner rather than later and besides that he didn't care to stay too much longer anyway. The teen broke into a run once his cell phone told him that it was close to 1:00pm. _Crap. If I don't hurry I'll be late._ Not that a few minutes here or there mattered but he preferred to be on time. And Shiki would start asking where he'd been and if he'd had a _date_ with someone. Eri would join in too of course then Rhyme and finally Beat would catch on.

He'd thrown his headphones down here not 2 months ago and within a few minutes they'd disappeared-either destroyed or picked up by someone else. His friends all stood by the statue, Beat and Rhyme on one side and Eri and Shiki on the other. Their outfits differed every time but they were easy enough to pick out from a crowd. Especially since Beat and Rhyme had blonde hair.

The big teen grabbed onto him right away, trying to perform some weird kind of handshake that ended in a one armed embrace while his sister laughed at Neku's failed attempts to follow the motion. _Why does he have to try this kind of stuff with me when he knows I don't like it?_ Shiki covered her mouth and whispered something to Eri then they both burst into laughter. _What are they laughing at now?_ He frowned in their general direction.

"Don't look like that too much Phones or your face'll break!"

"I think you mean that it'll get stuck like that big brother."

"Huh? Oh that's right? A'ight. You so smart Rhyme," the boarder laughed.

"So where are we headed today? Spain Hill? I hear that there's a couple new singles out by that band you like Phones!" Rhyme smiled.

…_Why does she have to call me that too…_He shrugged, "Guess we could go if you guys want to."

"Uh huh. Ayumi's new CD comes out today so I wanna get it!"

"Me too."

"Man, Ayumi Hamasaki? That's no good, yo! L.M.C's where it's at!"

He didn't mind going to Spain Hill since there weren't too many horrible memories associated from there except for Beat yelling loudly about parties in his mouth right in his ear. And anyway it was quicker than going all the way across Shibuya to get a CD. The entire way there Beat didn't deviate far from his side-it made him uneasy thinking about why that could be. _Is he worried since I was so weird yesterday? Or just wants to annoy me. …It's probably the second one._ He didn't ask though since the other guy would probably give him that 'WH-WHAAAAT?!' look and he wouldn't be able to get anything out of him after that. Though he wanted to ask especially since Shiki and everyone else for that matter kept looking at him with a knowing look. It was getting incredibly …annoying. What the hell did they know that he didn't? His irritation was temporarily overshadowed by his excitement at finding the CD he'd wanted. Strangely enough Beat murmured something, face turning alarming shades of red and throws some money on the counter-enough to cover the cost of the albums. _Why did he do that?!_

"Hey-Beat-what're you-"

"Owe ya, yo."

"For what?!" but the cashier had already rang up the purchase and handed him the change.

He turned on the blonde, livid at owing someone but also kind of happy to have his albums. When he looked to the others for backup he discovered the truth-they'd all fled. His arms crossed over his chest unconsciously as he stared up at Beat. _What were you thinking?! You don't owe me anything! _Horrifyingly enough no words came out of the other teen's mouth yet he heard plain as day 'ain't a big deal, yo. We buddies right?'. _Great, now I'm hearing __**Beat**__ in my head. That can't be good for me. _

"What!? You lookin' like you'll kill me! Ain't nothin' Phones! Not like it was a ton o' money. You ain't callin' me poor are ya?! 'Cause Rhyme said I don't get it sometimes when people makin' fun o' me. So gotta make sure, yo."

"Whatever…" a hand went to his forehead and he started walking out of the shop. _Now I remember why I always seem to get headaches when I'm around him._

End Chapter 2

Oh yeah, if I've fucked up any locations or anything lemme know yeah? I haven't played the game in ages ^^;


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the review Kitcat! I really like this pairing so I'm always excited to find other people who like it! :D

Long ass chapter. I don't know why. I just kept on writing and writing and writing _'

Chapter 3

"You know, me and Eri were thinking…We should all go out some time! On a da…te…or something!" Shiki's face went so red he was vaguely afraid she'd explode.

"…Oh…? Uh…Shiki you're great but…"

"Ah! Neku! Don't get the wrong idea! You, Beat and me and Eri could go!"

"What about Rhyme?"

She frowned, "we already talked to her about it so don't bother using her as an excuse! Besides, it'll be fun so you guys should come."

"What do you mean…'you guys'? Wait. SHIKI! You better not be-"

"Of course that's what I mean Neku! Why, do you have something against it?!" her eyebrows raised, "what about Joshua? You didn't have a problem with _him_."

_What's with her tone all of a sudden? It's not like I dumped __**her**__ since apparently that's not what it's about. I know her and Eri are good friends but…_ "What does he have to do with anything?" he turned his eyes to his shoes. _Why can't everyone hurry up and get here?_

The girl sighed, "sometimes Neku…Sometimes…He's got everything to do with it! You didn't mind him coming on to you all the time so why should it matter if Bea-…Oh…Your face…Says….you didn't…"

"He wasn't-…Joshua wasn't coming on to me!" but his face flushed as if he had known. He'd figured Joshua was a bit on the 'funny' side but you couldn't judge a book by its cover. Though apparently in this case you _could_. _So all those times…He…_

"Well…I mean…kind of…Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now, huh? I can't believe you didn't notice! You can be so insensitive Neku!"

"What?! _ME_?! You're the one trying to set me up on double dates with your friend and then saying how I'm stupid for not noticing Joshua was _apparently_ flirting with me!" even though his voice got louder than was strictly necessary nobody turned completely to look at them. Fights between friends and lovers happened at Hachiko all the time so them yelling back and forth wasn't really a cause for alarm.

"…It… …" she put both hands to her face then burst out laughing, "It's wrong! You're wrong! I'd never set you up with Eri in a million years!"

"…Then…What?! What're you getting at anyway?!"

Shiki stared at him wearing a dumbfounded expression. Her mouth hung open like he'd just said something she couldn't quite believe which couldn't be true since he said things like that all the time. Finally, after laughing a bit more and nearly making Neku walk off she put both hands on his shoulders, "Neku. If it's not me and it's not Eri. Who could it be that we're trying to set you up with? Who else'll be there with us?"

"Obviously Beat…Wait, what?!"

"We've got a winner! He really likes you so give him a chance okay? Besides, if you don't like it me and Eri can just suggest we all go home. Just give him one tiny little chance okay Neku?"

She looked so desperate for him to say yes that he nearly blurted it out from sympathy and annoyance alone. He clamped his mouth shut, letting the idea roll around in his head for a little while. Testing the theory that just one group date couldn't hurt for its validity. One date could make a romance or break a friendship so could he really go ahead and say he'd go when he still sat firmly on the fence? True he hadn't been utterly disgusted by the thought of Joshua liking him but that was Joshua. Joshua was fruity as a Christmas cake. Beat was…normal. The last person he'd expect to have a crush on anyone let alone another guy. _Let alone me. Why would he like __**me**__?_ Not that he was expecting an answer, because he wasn't-not from Shiki anyway.

"So…Yes?"

"…Fine. But…if it gets too weird…"

"Oh Neku, you worry way too much! Beat might not be the smartest but he's really a nice guy and he wouldn't do anything bad."

"It's not like I'm saying he'll rape me. Why're you over reacting!? Jeez!" the orange haired boy turned his back on her, face still burning.

"Oh! Here they come now!" she waved at the two blondes headed their way and Neku felt his back stiffen. _What do I say to him? Do I act like I know? Or…Dammit…_ Luckily for him Beat acted no different other than again sticking by Neku's side. Shiki and Rhyme both smiled like they were communicating with their eyes alone. It annoyed him. Immensely. Until the guy who had a thing for him slung one of his large arms around the shorter boy's shoulders without a word. He said nothing in response but tried to stop his heart from beating of his chest. It wasn't from affection either-more like a mixture of 'oh crap he's touching me' and 'what the heck do I do?!'. Beat pulled away and leaned against the statue. _I guess I should've done something…_ Shiki sighed.

"So guys, karaoke?"

"For sure! Then I gotta go to the Tigre Punks store and get something is that alright?"

"Of course!"

"Why I feel like we ain't included in this plan?"

"Well…I _guess_ you could come…But don't you wanna go skateboarding or something?" she laughed, "you should teach Neku, bet he'd suck at it!"

"Nah…He'd be a'ight at it. Just from seein' what he did in the Game yo."

_Do I say yes or no? If I do it'll be just us and then…I don't know what'll happen. _He shrugged, "not like we want to sing your crappy Ayumi Hamasaki songs anyway."

He could've sworn the atmosphere lightened about 100 percent. A grin on Beat's face and knowing looks exchanged between Shiki and Rhyme. He felt kind of like he was drowning in a sea of the unknown. Sinking into the dark depths of uncertain relationships, wishing for some sort of sign that would point him to the surface, the solution to the matter. Talking to someone was out of the question. _Dad would probably ask who it was. Mom would __**definitely**__ want to know. And I couldn't tell them. If I did…what would they say? _ He didn't have any brothers or sisters, no one else to carry on the family line but him. What he wanted to know most was why he was thinking about things so far in the future with just a simple hint that someone liked him.

"Rhyme you call me to come take the train home wit' you a'ight? Don't you walk to the station all alone or nothin' like that! If anything happens you call me!" the skateboarder called after the two girls as they began to vanish into the crowd.

"She's with Shiki so she'll be fine."

"She my lil' sister yo, can't help but worry. Specially after what happened. Let's go, I got a wicked spot that ain't too hard for newbies to use."

Beat yanked him forward, their fingers intertwined so they wouldn't get separated in the crowd surrounding Hachiko and the adjacent areas. The pair wove in and out of people and stepped into alleys Neku hadn't even known existed. They were lost in walls of brick, soft shadows faded into brief spots of sunshine and steel garbage cans provided their only obstacle. Throughout it all Beat's hand remained the only constant in the unfamiliar territory. The palm was big enough on its own but with fingers added Neku's own hand looked small and childish in comparison. He hadn't noticed the skateboard in the pack on the other teen's back until now-_I guess he carries it everywhere with him._ Abruptly the journey through a strange new world ended with their arrival at a skate park he'd passed by a few times on the way to CAT murals. Like everywhere else people hung around texting, talking loudly to one another and above all skateboarding. _Does he hang out with these guys when he's not with us?_ A couple people raised their hand in greeting, oblivious to how tightly the two's digits were laced together. It was Beat who broke the contact first, coming to a stop in front of a small ramp.

"A'ight! This ain't too hard even for someone who never skated before. But first you gotta learn how ta steer an' all that. My board might be a bit big for ya Phones but you get good enough and you might buy your own," the blonde scratched the back of his neck after the last comment then straightened up after placing his deck on the ground.

"I'm supposed to stand on _that_? It's a piece of wood on wheels!"

"Pretty much! It'll be fun so just give it a try, yo. I'll do somethin' you want if ya do."

"Something I want? Like what?" Neku raised an eyebrow, eyeing the board with some trepidation.

"Aw I dunno Phones! I ain't you or nothin' an' I can't read no one's mind."

One foot hesitantly stepped onto the plank, the other firmly on the pavement-sticking straight out to prevent any movement. He frowned in an attempt to concentrate on getting his other foot to move from its spot of relative safety.

"You ain't gonna learn nothin' like that Phones. You want me t'show you some stuff first? Ain't no one gonna laugh at you. We all newbies some time."

"Uh…sure," he said it quickly, hoping that once he got going Beat would forget all about teaching the other boy to skateboard. They switched places and off the blonde went. Faster than Neku would've and more confident too. He didn't know the name of the tricks being pulled off but they sent Beat flying through the air-spinning and arms out at his side. The beanie almost flew from the fair head a few times but never left the skull. Then the taller boy fell head over heels having hit a curb rather violently. Scarcely knowing whether to run over or not Neku just stood there in shock, blinking at how swiftly things had gone from pro skills to eating pavement. A couple other guys called out some taunts and it became very evident where Beat got his slang. But they asked if he was okay anyway. _Don't just lie there!_ After what seemed like an age and a half the blonde got to his feet. He walked back laughing. _It's not funny! People probably crack their heads open all the time because of that…_

"S'what I get for tryin' t'look cool yo. Don't imitate that last part Phones."

"You alright?" he glanced at the red scrapes on the other's elbows and knees.

"Yeah, nothin' to worry about. Bit it pretty bad though! Totally forgot about that curb there."

"People usually wear helmets…"

"Nah! Ain't no one who wears a helmet to skate Phones! 'Sides I got a hard head so couldn't crack this thing no matter what," one of the large hands rapped on the side of cranium, "you ready to give it a try? Or you too chicken?"

"I'm not a chicken! But it's not like I should be begging to ride around on a board of wood without a helmet…"

"Aw that what you hung up on? I'll get ya one from my house if it'll help ya," Beat patted him on the back so hard his voice came out wobbly.

"I…Guess…"

"C'mon Phones, we go get it, come back here and shred it yo!"

"…Uh…Sure…" _Is he seriously using words like that? _

~~**~~

He hadn't expected Beat's room to be clean. He hadn't expected the amount of study supplies lying around either. His eyebrows raised but he didn't say anything about it. The bed was pushed against a wall, posters plastered the walls and skateboarding gear sat in a couple of baskets. The carpet was an off white colour with a couple stains of what looked like juice or pop peppered around the room. A window overlooking the backyard let in a little bit of sunlight and provided a nice view if someone was sitting at the desk doing homework.

The blonde kneeled down next to one of the baskets of stuff and held out a red helmet, motioning for Neku to come over.

"Try on that one, yo. Used to be mine when I was 'bout 12 so might fit ya."

_Your head got bigger than it was 3 years ago? How is that possible?_ He pulled it on as far as he could-which ended up somewhere around his eyelids.

"Wah ha ha! Bit too big! A'ight, maybe this one. Used t'be Rhyme's I think."

It was pink. He stared at Beat, incredulous that the other guy would even suggest he wear the thing.

"What's the look for Phones? Just a helmet. Don't make no difference what colour it is if it protects your brain right?"

"I guess so…"

"Fits perfect right? A'ight now for the paddin' t'make sure ya don't scrape up your arms or nothin'."

_Why do I feel like Joshua in this helmet? _He frowned and took it off for the moment. He'd only have to worry about how stupid it'd look once they got back to the skate park. One of the other teen's hands messed up his hair.

"Looks kinda cute on ya Phones. But maybe bit too girly. You a'ight with it? Can go get 'nother one if you ain't."

"I was the one who wanted to wear one…"

The skater wrapped his hand around Neku's wrist, the grip gentle as if the fair haired boy was afraid to break bones. "U…Uh yo, it's just I…Gwaahhh I'm just helpin' you put on the elbows a'ight since I had trouble back when I wore 'em yo!"

"I…Didn't think you were doing anything else!"

"Just-…Shiki told you about…"

_He's freaking out or something…_ They sat back on their heels; not looking at each other for fear that it would cause something to happen. His chest tightened in a demonstration of his nerves and he felt like he'd pass out. Alone in someone who liked him's room with that person. Sitting close enough to touch each other but remaining stationary and silent. Beat's hand still loosely gripped Neku's wrist.

"She…said something about…"

"Yeah…"

"I…Is it true? I mean…I…" the orange haired teen mumbled.

"I ain't…I never…Liked no…I've never liked a guy before…I ain'…I don't know what's…"

_Is he trying to use better grammar? Because of me?_ He blinked, "you…don't have to talk like that…I don't care how people speak…"

"Just…Real stupid Phones. You smart so…Feels…like I embarassin' you 'cause I ain't smart or nothin'. Can't speak Japanese very good and…Don't know where I'm goin' with this."

"I'm not smart. My grades are a little better than passing at best so don't act like I'm some kind of genius," Neku felt himself frown. Beat definitely wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he had his moments of intelligence. _What can I say to make him feel better? Is it because of his parents that he thinks he's stupid? Or because Rhyme's smarter than him?_ He shrugged, "I'm not really smart at all. And you're not stupid…"

"Aw man, you don't gotta say stuff like that Phones. It ain't…no big deal or nothin'. Just got all unsecured about it since…"

_You mean insecure._ "Because you…I don't care about things like that. It's…Everyone tries their best. So…Don't feel like an idiot because of what other people say."

"Thanks Phones. You changed a lot since the Game, yo. Used to roll your eyes at me when I say somethin' stupid but now you different. Didn't have no problem wi' you before though. You down for the…d…date thing? Understand if you ain't," a smile flashed across his face. _He…looks…pretty…cute when he smiles…_

"Uh…I…I guess."

The blonde grabbed him and pulled him into his chest, "won't be annoyin' or nothin' an' I won't come on to you or nothin'."

"H-Hey…"

"Aw man, already broke the promise! Oh snap, should get back to the park before gets too dark yo!"

They gathered the stuff and threw it into a backpack which hid the embarrassing helmet from the public eye for the moment and bounded back down the stairs. The park was only a few stations from Beat's house-just a couple of districts from Shibuya but still just as busy during rush hour he was sure. The other boy didn't say anything but their hands continuously bumped against each other while they walked. _What is this, a drama?_ They didn't hold hands since it'd look weird and people would probably stare but Neku didn't let himself get separated from the blonde even by one person. But the journey quickly ended and he had to worry again about the helmet. The stupid, pink helmet.

And he worried for good reason. Because the second he put it on everyone looking in his direction burst out laughing. _Don't try and be too discreet about it…_ Beat smacked him on the back with a grin.

"Don't worry 'bout them Phones. They laugh at anyone comin' in who new."

"Yeah well…I don't blame them…What kind of guy wears pink…"

"Aw, you embarrassed? Told you we can go get a new one yo. No big thing."

"I…" _I didn't bring any money. And I don't want you paying for anything else…_ He shook his head, "I'll endure it."

"You a stronger guy than me Phones. A'ight, get on the board and try it out yo!"

He did get on the board and pushed off hesitantly with his left foot.

"Phones if you right handed you probably wanna use you right foot to push youself."

"Huh? But …"

"Right foot's strongest so goes in the back. Just how it is unless you a leftie," Beat shrugged, "plus when you turnin' you want yo strongest foot doin' all the work otherwise you be goin' all over the place."

"I…Guess that makes sense."

It felt better with his dominant foot on the back of the board after all. _I guess if it's one thing he knows it's skateboarding…_ He pushed a little bit harder with his right foot this time, arms out at his sides moving in a flapping motion to try and keep his already shaky balance. The uneven ground made him want to take a sander to the concrete-_why can't it just be smooth?_ He was aware that Beat was right beside him, kind of like that father figure in movies teaching their kid how to ride a bike without training wheels. Except he wouldn't want Beat as a father. _Definitely not. At least I know he'll be able to catch me. _

"You doin' good, Phones. You don't gotta worry, I'll catch you if you fall, yo."

"…You better…"

"You wearin' paddin' so it ain't so bad if you eat pavement a coupla times!"

_I don't want to fall…_ He wobbled, regained his balance more than a few times. Luckily he didn't end up actually falling to the ground though he came close a couple of times. Every so often he felt Beat's hand on his back-barely touching him but letting him know he was there. Reassurance and dumb luck seemed to be the other teen's strong points despite failing in more ways than one when it came to intelligible speech. Maybe going out on that date wouldn't be so bad after all…

End Chapter

I wanted to use the expression "ass over teakettle" instead of head over heels but it seemed out of place despite being ridiculously awesome. And it means the same thing but yeah. Use it in every day conversation guys, spread the love of that expression as well as "_____ is the bee's knees!" XD Also, these guys aren't hanging out every day. School in Japan runs from Monday to Saturday(though I think on Saturdays it's only until 12?) so they're only meeting on Saturday or Sunday. I'm also assuming they don't go to the same school since none of them(except for Beat and Rhyme) know one another. :C Beat's all "Ore wa…baka, to." (which by the way is NOT a grammatical sentence XD it's basically "I stupid, yo") and Neku's all "Chigaimasu."(that's wrong/different(as in not exactly correct))


End file.
